Clay press or mixer.



CARL FRIEDRICH SCHLIGKEYSEN, OF STEGLITZ, NEAR BERLIN, GERMANY.

CLAY PRESS OR MIXER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 14., 1908.

Application filed December 21, 1906. Serial No. 348,941.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that .I, CARL FRIEDRICH SOI-ILIOKEYsEN, a subject of theGerman Emperor, and resident of Steglitz, near Berlin, Germany, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in and Relating to ClayPresses or Mixers, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in clay presses or mixersdesigned for the pur ose of mixing or kneading segregated lumps of clayinto a homogeneous and uniform mass thereby rendering the same suitablefor use in the manufacture of bricks, tubes and other products formed ofclay.

The device of this invention has to do with an improved character ofmachine of this type so constructed as to materially reduce wear of theparts and afford means whereby material treated may be'discharged in acondition suitable for use by a greatly reduced period of treatment andwherein a material reduction of motive power may be effected.

The invention will be more fully described in connection with theaccompanying drawing and will be more particularly pointed out andascertained in and by the appended claims.

In the drawing: Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view of one form ofmachine which embodies the main features of my invention. Fig. 2 is asectional view of another form of the invention. Fig. 3 is a plan viewof segments illustrating the different forms of rings which may be used.Fig. 4 is a sectional View of a portion of the body of the machine shownin Fig. 1 drawn on an enlarged scale.

Like numerals of reference designate similar parts throughout thedifferent views of the drawing.

Considered generally the invention in cludes a body ortion in which isformed a passage throug which the clay is forced from an inlet to apoint of discharge and a plurality of mixers or kneaders disposed insaid passage and serving in the performance of their function of mixingand kneading the clay to advance the same from said inlet to the pointof discharge. To this end the said kneaders or mixers are desirablygiven a helical or spiral formation in order to impart the requisiteadvancing movement but imparting such movement the kneaders also rotatethe clay and the same is closely packed and compressed between the bodyportion and the kneaders and also between the spiral flights or bladesof the kneaders resultin in-the subjection to these parts of a powerfufrictional contact thereby causing the same to quickly wear out. It hasalso been found that the clay packs so tightly that very powerfuldriving means is required. Now it is the object of this invention toimprove machines of this character and obviate the foregoing defects byproviding means for interrupting the rotary movement of the clay in itspassage through the body portion and to so dispose and construct saidmeans as to increase the mixing or kneading action by causing thekneaders to alternately cooperate with the body portion and said meansto thus increase the efficiency of the machine, in its mixing action,and thereby enhance the quality of the clay mixture dis charged.

By interrupting the rotary movement of the clay the tendency of the sameto pack and clog is overcomewhile the tortuous and irregular coursethrough which the clay is forced causes a general shifting of the massedparticles and uniform mixture which is highly desirable.

As shown, and referring more particularly to Fig. 1, the body portion isin the form of a cylinder 2, having a flaring inlet portion 1 and anoutlet 3. The kneaders or mixers are shown as mounted upon a shaft 14which is centrally disposed within the cylinder 2 and may be mounted insuitable bearings (not shown) and driven from any convenient source ofpower. The kneaders are indicated at '8, 9 and 10 and are preferably inthe form of spirals which are spaced apart from each other a slightdistance. The kneaders are so disposed and proportioned with respect tothe cylinder 2 as to cooperate with the wall thereof in the operation ofkneading and mixing the clay, i. e. the peripheries of the kneaders aresufficiently close to the wall of the cylinder so that the clay willengage the latter and will be mixed and kneaded by its contact with thekneaders and the wall of the cylinder.

In order to prevent a continuous rotary movement from being imparted tothe clayv in its passage through the cylinder means are provided,preferably in the form of rings 4, 5, 6 and 7, which are disposedadjacent the spaces formed between said kneaders and which projectoutwardly from the wall of the cylinder 2 toward said kneaders in amanner to reduce the area of the passage through which the clay isforced. 'As the clay is forced downwardly between the kneaders and thewall of the cylinder it engages the rings and the kneaders thereuponcease to cooperate with the wall of the cylinder 2 and cooperate withthe said rings in forcing the clay there-through and thus it will beseen that the kneaders act alternately, on a given portion of the clay,in cooperation with the wall of the cylinder 2 and said rings. Owing tothe fact that the rings are interposed in the spaces formed betweenthekneaders and as the same act downwardly upon the clay forcing the sameagainst said rings the latter Serve to interrupt the rotary movement ofthe clay in its downwardly advancing movement. It will also beunderstood that inasmuch as the clay is given a uniform movement whileit is passing between the rings and as the passage at such pointsaffords a relatively greater area than at points adjacent the rings theclay will, when it reaches the rings, 'be forced there-through at arelatively increased speed with respect to its speed between said ringsand this feature will materially increase the efficiency of the rings ininterrupting or preventing rotary movement of the clay. When the clayhas been compressed by said rings and has passed there-through it willimmediately be permitted to expand into the relatively increased spacebelow the rings and will be immediately engaged by the next kneader ormixer and advanced toward the point of discharge.

In order to further increase the capacity of the rings in preventingrotation of the clay the same may be provided on their inner marginswith notches as indicated at 13 and arranged in parallel relation. ofring the clay in its passage is forced into said notches and the samenot only serve to further retard the rotary movement but they also serveto shift the particles of massed clay and further increase the mixingefliciency of the machine.

In some embodiments of the machine designed for certain classes of workit may be desirable to bevel the rings in order that the compressiveaction due to the passage of the clay through said rings may be moregradual and to this end it has been found that the best results areobtained by beveling the rings so that the beveled portion faces towardthe inlet and in a directionopposite to the course of the clay asclearly shown in Figs. 1 and 4. In cases where it is desirable to insureimmediate engagement of the kneaders, located below the rings, with theclay assing there-through the rings may be beve ed on their lower sidesin the manner shown in Fig. 2.

In the embodiment shown the inlet por- In this form tion 1 is providedwith a kneader having spirals 11 and 12 in order to insure a uniform andconstant supply to the machine and at the point of discharge the machineis con veniently provided with a spirally formed delivery member 15.

In the form shown in Fig.- 2 the cylinder 2 is horizontally disposed butin other respects this form of the machine is substantially the samestructurally and in operation as the machine shown in Fig. 1.

I claim:

1. A clay press comprising in combination, a cylinder, a rotary shafttherefor, helicoidal kneaders carried by said shaft and spaced apartfrom each other, and rings secured to said cylinder adjacent the spacesformed by said kneaders, said rings belng notched adjacent said spacesand having upwardly inclined portions projecting above said spaces.

2. A clay press comprising in combination, a cylinder, a rotary shaftmounted in said cylinder, a plurality of helicoidal kneaders arranged onsaid shaft and spaced apart from each other, and rings secured to theinner wall of said cylinder adjacent the spaces formed by said kneader,said rings being beveled outwardly and upwardly.

3. A clay press comprising in combination, a cylinder, a rotary shaftmounted-in said cylinder, a plurality of helicoidal kneaders arranged onsaid shaft and spaced apart from each other, and rings secured to theinner wall of said cylinder and projecting into the spaces formed bysaid kneaders, said rings being beveled toward said cylinders inopposite directions.

4. A clay press or mixer comprising in whereby the rotary movement ofthe clay 1 may be interrupted.

5. A clay press or mixer comprising in combination, a body portionprovided with a passage for the clay, a plurality of rotary kneadersadapted to engage the clay and ad S vance the same 1n said passage, saidkneaders being spaced apart from each other, and rings detachablysecured adjacent said spaces and projecting into the same whereby thepassage in said body portion is restricted and the rotary movementimparted to the,

clay by said kneaders is interrupted.

6. A clay press or mixer com rising in combination, a body portion provied with a 1passage for the clay, a lurality of rotary neaders engagingthe c ay and advancing the same in said passage, said kneaders beingspaced apart from each other, and removable means located adjacent saidspaces and pro jecting into the same thereby restricting the passage insaid body portion and interru ting the rotary movement imparted to the cay by said kneaders, said kneaders cooperating with the Wall of saidbody ortion and with said means in mixing the c ay.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand, in presence of tWoWitnesses.

CARL FRIEDRICH SCHLICKEYSEN Witnesses:

HENRY HAsPER, AUGUSTUS E. INGRAM.

